College students might feel overwhelmed with the prospect of quickly reading large volumes of text without sacrificing comprehension of important material. The University of Utah School of Medicine suggests quality speed reading can actually lead to higher comprehension levels than traditional reading techniques. Readers might shoot for a reading speed of up to 1,000 words per minute, a dramatic improvement over the average reading speed of as few as 250 words per minute.

Improving Vocabulary

Students will only comprehend speed reading material if their vocabularies are sufficient to quickly process and understand the words. Because college reading is likely to introduce new terminology and potentially difficult concepts, students might first concentrate on improving their vocabularies before working on specific speed reading techniques. Students should also learn the meanings of commonly-used prefixes and suffixes to help them decipher the meaning of unknown words. Referencing a dictionary or thesaurus whenever you encounter and unknown word is also critical when working to improve vocabulary.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Students who consistently strive to improve their reading speed and comprehension through daily practice of speed reading with newspapers, novels, research journals or magazines can achieve dramatic improvement in reading comprehension and speed, the University of Central Florida advises. This type of material is effective for speed reading because word for word comprehension is not required for texts conveying a general topic or idea. Abstract reading materials, such as poetry or documents like legal abstracts, are generally ineffective speed reading pieces because they convey precise information and important details, according to Cornell University’s Learning Strategies Center.

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Chunking and Skimming

“Chunking” helps readers recognize natural breaks, such as short sentences or word groupings, in reading materials. Focusing on smaller segments of content helps students comprehend several words as one piece of information. Skimming for pertinent information improves speed without sacrificing comprehension. Skimming is also an effective pre-reading tool. Quickly reading pages, subtitles, bold or italic print and chapter summaries for key information, or writing down a brief definition of new words or key concepts while pre-reading, improves overall reading speed and comprehension.

Self-Care and Scheduling

Although a hectic schedule or procrastination might cause some students to put off reading until late in the day, Providence College suggests reading early in the day to improve comprehension. Tired readers are less likely to remember most of what they read, so students might prioritize speed reading over other assignments that require less concentration. Frequent breaks are also important when trying to read and understand large sections of information. Students might aim to speed read for half an hour and then take a few minutes to review or jot down important information to ensure that comprehension levels are high.